In the past I've expressed disappointment at the lack of support for quality events in Tauranga, but when it comes to the arts festival this city more than holds its own.
Every two years organisers bring an impressive array of local and international talent to the city, for days ofprofessionally polished performances.
During this year's festival, and the previous two, I've been to shows at the Crystal Palace and wished the venue, with its cosy booth seats, wooden floors and stained glass windows, could become a permanent fixture on The Strand.
This week I attended a sell-out show in the palace, offering a blend of comedy and music, a good laugh, great food and good service. Even the Australian performers commented that not every "town" was lucky enough to have a festival of this quality - and they're right.
What struck me about the crowd though was that most of them were 40-plus. There is no doubt that a younger crowd would have really also enjoyed and connected with the performance but maybe they haven't taken the time to find out what the arts festival is all about.
Maybe it's the name. They imagine people standing around pondering paintings, rather than sitting - beer in hand - laughing at a quick-witted comedy duo. Some of the responsibility for Tauranga's "there isn't enough for young people to do" image is about making an effort to find out what is on offer.
The Brave - a play about a group of youths defining what it means to be a man in New Zealand today - contained a few young Shortland Street faces and received rave reviews at Baycourt last week.
Having watched a play in a hotel room and then a hairdressing salon at the last two festivals respectively, I was disappointed to miss out on tickets to this year's play being hosted on a bus. But the fact the four performances had sold out before the festival began is testament to the fact people knew it would be a great experience. The quality, scope and execution of Tauranga's Arts Festival is something all age groups in this city should embrace and be extremely proud of.
